Darrin Beene is entering his seventh year at The News Tribune, having covered the Tacoma Rainiers in 2005 and Major League Baseball for two years before that. Beene, a former assistant sports editor at The News Tribune, also worked for the Los Angeles Daily News and Los Angeles Times. He lives in the South Sound with his wife and two children.
This blog is about baseball in general but specifically the Seattle Mariners and the Mariners’ Triple-A team, the Tacoma Rainiers. It will contain news, analysis, answers to your questions and audio reports.
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SEATTLE MARINERS (Last year's record, finish: 78-84, fourth)
Pitchers/all report: Thursday/Feb. 20.
Key additions: P Jeff Weaver, P Miguel Batista, P Horacio Ramirez, P Chris Reitsma, RF Jose Guillen, 2B-DH Jose Vidro, P Arthur Rhodes.
Key losses: P Gil Meche, P Joel Pineiro, P Rafael Soriano, OF Chris Snelling.
Player to watch: P Felix Hernandez. He was supposed to be the second coming of Dwight Gooden but he was overweight in camp last year and got off to a slow start. He’s in better shape now and must improve on his 12-14, 4.52 ERA from 2006.
Reasons to hope: The rotation, with three new starters, has to be better than last year. … Lineup gets an upgrade with addition Vidro and Guillen.
Reasons to mope: Players coming off injuries – Guillen, Vidro, Reitsma and Ramirez – might spend more time in the training room than the field. … The rotation’s different, but is anyone that excited about the three new starters?
OAKLAND A’S (93-69, first)
Pitchers/all report: Saturday/Feb. 22.
Key additions: Manager Bob Geren, C-DH Mike Piazza, P Alan Embree.
Key losses: Manager Ken Macha, P Barry Zito, DH Frank Thomas, OF Jay Payton.
Player to watch: P Rich Harden. The hard-throwing starter from Victoria, B.C., pitched in only nine games in 2006. The A’s need him healthy from the start in order to replace Zito in the rotation.
Reasons to hope: General manager Billy Beane always seems to make lemonade out of lemons; is Piazza this year’s Thomas? … 3B Eric Chavez (shoulder/forearm) and SS Bobby Crosby (back) will be healed and will bounce back from poor seasons.
Reasons to mope: Piazza’s never been a full-time DH before or played in the AL and could have trouble filling Thomas’ role. … If Harden, Chavez and Crosby can’t stay healthy.
ANAHEIM ANGELS (89-73, second)
Pitchers/all report: Thursday/Feb. 20.
Key additions: CF Gary Matthews Jr., DH-1B-3B Shea Hillenbrand; P Justin Speier, P Darren Oliver.
Key losses: OF-1B Darin Erstad, OF-DH Tim Salmon, 2B Adam Kennedy, P Brendan Donnelly, P J.C. Romero.
Player to watch: P Bartolo Colon. In 2006 Colon had shoulder woes and a 1-5 record. If he comes back strong, the Angels can boast a six-deep rotation.
Reasons to hope: Lineup gets added pop and a big boost in defense with Matthews. … Young pitchers Ervin Santana and Jered Weaver continue to show ace-like stuff.
Reasons to mope: Matthews isn’t worth the $50 million the Angels shelled out and he can’t match his output from 2006 (19 HRs, 79 RBI, .313). … The offense slumbers like it did in the first half of 2006.
TEXAS RANGERS (80-82, third)
Pitchers/all report: Feb. 18/Feb. 23
Key additions: Manager Ron Washington, P Eric Gagne, UTL Frank Catalanotto, CF Kenny Lofton, P Brandon McCarthy, OF Sammy Sosa, OF Marlon Byrd.
Key losses: CF Gary Matthews Jr., LF Carlos Lee, UTL Mark DeRosa, P Adam Eaton, C Rod Barajas.
Player to watch: Sosa. After a year of retirement, the 38-year-old slugger is trying to make a comeback with his original team. He’ll need a good spring in order to stick.
Reasons to hope: Offseason trade with White Sox landed McCarthy, who’s got a live arm. … Washington’s upbeat-style plays well in a clubhouse that was run for four years by Buck Showalter.
Reasons to mope: There’s never enough pitching in Texas and one starter (McCarthy) isn’t going to cut it. … Too much offense left in the offseason and was not replaced.
